London 2012 Olympics: former-drug cheat David Millar selected in Team GB cycling squad for Games

David Millar was selected in Great Britain’s provisional road squad for the
London Olympics on Wednesday but Dave Brailsford, British Cycling
performance director, said that the Scot’s doping ban six years ago would
still be a factor as to whether he made the final team of five.

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Back in the mix: David Millar, who had his Olympic ban overturned at the end of April, has been selected for Team GBPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

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Golden girl: the 31-year-old Victoria Pendleton won the sprint in ChinaPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

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Medal winner: Bradley Wiggins won gold in the individual pursuit four years agoPhoto: AP

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Sir Chris Hoy, who won three gold medals at the Beijing Games, has been selected for Team GB in the London GamesPhoto: AP

“What I have to do in terms of selecting the final team is to consider whether anybody will have a negative impact on the group dynamic or even themselves,” Braislford said as he unveiled his cycling squad for London.

“You could argue that it will be such an emotional and challenging thing to go through the he might not cope. Who knows? The BOA has changed its policy. It’s a story, an issue and change to what has happened in the past.

“After the last match has been played at Wimbledon fortnight, the gaze of the media will be firmly on the Games and one of the stories a lot of people will want to write could be about Dave Millar participating on the first day of the London Games in the first event. It would be remiss of me not to consider whether that could have an impact.”

When fully fit – and that is another issue as Millar continues his return from a shoulder dislocation in March – the Scot would be the third name down on the GB team sheet for the road race behind Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins with his experience and ability to ‘captain’ the team tactically proving invaluable as GB look to place world champion Cavendish in a sprint finish down The Mall.

Brailsford, however, went out of his way yesterday to emphasise the claims of Chris Froome and Steve Cummings, while the hard-riding Ian Stannard – a massive worker on Cavendish’s behalf at the Giro d’Italia last month and at last year’s World Championships – would be a very difficult man to drop.

As Brailsford said: “I wouldn’t presume anything about Dave Millar’s selection. There is no ‘given’ in that back-up team to Cav and Brad.”

Sir Chris Hoy welcomed Millar back into the GB Olympic fold but also took the opportunity of reiterating his implacable opposition to doping in sport. “I’m comfortable with whoever is selected for the team because they are eligible,” said Hoy, who will be competing in his fourth Olympics. It’s never been about an individual. It’s about the future and having a meaningful deterrent against people taking drugs.”

Hoy, as expected, was named in the three-man sprint squad along with Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny, but Brailsford and his coaching team will leave it much closer to competition day before making a final call between Hoy and Kenny in the individual sprint. “If you pick now you might not actually be picking the fastest guy,” Brailsford said.